Examining Associations Between Social Experiences and Loneliness Among Autistic Youth

To develop targeted interventions aimed at reducing loneliness among autistic youth, it is critical to understand which social experiences are associated with loneliness in this population. The current study examined associations between loneliness, social interaction/solitary experiences (i.e., time spent interacting and alone, feelings during time spent interacting and alone) and peer experiences (i.e., victimization, being ignored, and being included) among autistic youth. Autistic youth (N = 241) between 15 and 26 years old (M = 18.7) completed online surveys that measured their levels of loneliness and the degrees to which they were victimized, ignored, and included by peers. Furthermore, at 9 PM each day for 7 consecutive days, participants were prompted via a smartphone app to report events that occurred within five specific time frames throughout that day. Youth reported how long they participated in each event, whether they were interacting with others or alone, and for the longest lasting activity in each time frame, the degree to which they experienced positive and negative feelings. Results revealed that more negative feelings when interacting and when alone were associated with increased loneliness, whereas more positive feelings when alone were associated with reduced loneliness. Neither time spent interacting nor time spent alone was significantly associated with loneliness. Greater frequency of being ignored was also associated with increased loneliness. Therefore, rather than focusing on the amount of time autistic youth spend interacting and alone, it is equally important for future interventions to consider ways to increase youth's satisfaction with the quantity and quality of their social interactions.